I'm Sending My Dad To Norway

My dad is bananas for his Aeropress. And Tim, 2003 World Barista Champion and owner of the successful roasting company Tim Wendelboe in Oslo, has taken his obsession for the Aeropress to championship levels by developing and hosting the 1st Annual World Aeropress Championship in 2008, and following it up with another contest this year.I’ve lifted the following information about the competition from Tim’s website. May the games begin!The rules are fairly straight forward, 3 judges will evaluate, purely based on taste, the best filter style brew from the Aeropress. We want the competition to be as transparent as possible, with the intention of fine tuning the hugely varied technique used to brew on the Aeropress.

General Rules
– everyone will use the same coffee, Amor de Dios from Bolivia. There will be 2 roast dates available on competition day, so it will be up to the competitor to decide rest time.
– the required volume of the drink is 2dl, it is up to the competitor what kind of water is used, no added ingredients are allowed
– there will be heats with 3 competitors per heat. All competitors will have a 30 minute, simultaneous, preparation time. To ensure the drinks are served at a similar temperature – the water must be poured into the Aeropress at the same time, brew temp is optional
– the technique used by the competitor must be in writing and presented to the judges

Equipment
– the supplied grinder will be a Ditting 804, competitors are welcome to bring their own grinder
– water boilers will also be supplied, competitors are welcome to use their own water boiler ie. Über Boiler
– filtrated Oslo tap water (Ph 7.4, Hardness 2.9dH, TDS 110 PPM, 25ml p/L of calcium) will be supplied, competitors can use any water they wish
– any modifications to the actual Aeropress will need to be authorised by the Head Judge and if need be, Alan Adler himself

Finals
– finals will be held on the same day
– as well as showcasing their ideal Amor de Dios brew – as used in the heats, the 3 finalists will be required to present their “Signature Press”, using any coffee, any brew technique, amount of water, etc to create a truly unique brew, however additional ingredients are not allowed.
– the 3 judges, plus remaining competitors, will collectively judge the “Signature Press”

International competitors are welcome to enter, using a provided ’surrogate’ or ’step in’ competitor. It will be their responsibility to ensure clear brew instructions are provided. We can send you some coffee to practice with in the lead up to the competition.

1st Prize : “The Gilded Bronze Piston” as shown above, 1kg of TW coffee of your choice, a set of precision scales and maybe even a quote featured on the next Aeropress packaging…2nd Prize : A set of precision scales and 500g of TW coffee of your choice.3rd Prize : A pack of spare Aeropress filters, and some time alone with last years Aeropress Champion, Mr. Anders Valde.

About the Author

Sarah Allen is co-founder and editor of Barista Magazine, the international trade magazine for coffee professionals. A passionate advocate for baristas, quality, and the coffee community, Sarah has traveled widely to research stories, interact with readers, and present on a variety of topics affecting specialty coffee. She also loves animals, swimming, ice cream, and living in Portland, Oregon.